Kahle v. AshcroftHey Kid
originally submitted by brian horakh:
Childrens Book - simple words, rhymes, good for learning to read.
Stifled uses
brian horakh:
"Hey Kid" is a childrens bedtime story published in the 70s.
This was a favorite childhood book of mine.
I read it so many times almost 30 years later I can recite it, verbatim word for word from memory.
I'm older now, and I tried to buy a copy for my daughter when she was learning to read,
only to learn it was out of print. Contacted dozens of libraries, nobody had it -
amazon offered to dig up a copy, but couldn't. Contacted the publisher, they didn't respond.
This was a *terrific* book - in my memory as important as Twas the night before xmas, The cat
in the Hat, and Where the Wild Things Are.
I was *extremely* upset to learn this book was out of print, I really strongly felt something needed
to be done. I thought about re-writing it (from memory) and then having one of my friends who is a
graphic artist do up some art for it and distribute it as a free e-book, but decided against it due
to DMCA and other legislation I figured it wasn't worth the hassle.
Instead I decided to recite it to my daught from memory - but of course, since my daughter only heard it,
and never read it, she doesn't remember it, and of course, it didn't help her learn to read like it
did for me. Now it's easily past her age level, but I feel she was greatly deprived of something
which I cherished. And I suppose it will die with me, or disappear when I get alzheimers -
a real shame, easily one of the best childhood books I ever read - I just hope i'm around long
enough to recite it to my grandkids, if i'm fortunate enough to have them.